Dragom's Fury - Breath of Fire
A Novel of the next World War
Regards.
Posted on 05/12/2002 9:24:18 AM PDT by greydog
Still, with our weapons made in Australia and everything else being made in China, we can kick back and relax.
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In small caliber I don't understand what this thing would be used for. I can't see how it would be better than existing systems. I can't see how ammunition would be fed to service it.
You are the one that doesn't understand the technology of "Metal Storm". It uses multiple barrels that have multiple charges and projectiles in each barrel. There will definitely be muzzle blast. Lots of muzzle blast.
Regards.
In the video of a single barrel firing three rounds, it is on a test bed and looks very rudimentary. I think most of this is pure hype.
I have the same question. In small arms...what's the point ? Imagine tripping and sticking your barrel(s) in the mud...or in this case, four barrels...no chance of running a cleaning rod through due to the barrels being jammed up with "rounds".
McGavin999:
Which video ? I didn't see one that executes a re-load...I would be interested in seeing how this is accomplished.
True. Of course in a day of bows and arrows, the same could have been said about the first single-shot firearms.
In small caliber I don't understand what this thing would be used for. I can't see how it would be better than existing systems. I can't see how ammunition would be fed to service it.
It's not *better,* it's different. Think of it as a Roman candle, with multiple charges and projectiles stacked in the barrel, ready to be fired electronically in sequence. And there are likely ways of developing it as a recoilless system, as per the Burney gun, the WWII and Korean-era recoilless rifles, and the current German *Armbrust* Light antitank weapon.
Rather than a replacement for long-range artillery with 25-40-mile ranges, a large caliber variant *might* be able to replace or augment the mortar and its ammunition, offering a preloaded multishot launch tube, disposed of after use. As for the practicality of a preloaded weapon whose launcher/barrel is discarded after use, any grunt who's used a M72A2 LAW [L/ight A/ntitank W/eapon] rocket launcher is familiar with the concept.
Most likely immediate uses? a replacement for land mines, as a possible successor to the M18A1 Claymnore mine, essentially an explosive shotgun mine. And a very likely application for fitting aboard tanks to discourage unfriendly visitors from climbing on them while they're buttoned up, obviating the need for a nearby vehicle to *scratch my back* with co-axial machinegun fire, which can be hard on the recipient vehicle's optics, antennas, and externally stowed OVM. The likelihood that something along the line of Metalstorm could be used by combat vehicles as a sort of continuous Claymore against incoming wire-guided antitank projectiles is another happy thought, similar to the use of the MK 15 Phalanx CIWS against Harpoon/Silkworm/Exocet/other ski-skimming missiles, as an improvement over the externally mounted white phosphorous and grenade launchers now used for that purpose is another needed near-future likely application.
A replacement for traditional artillery or small arms? Not in this decade, likely not in the next. But someday, maybe. And for now, an augmentation to those other systems. -archy-/-
Or backblast, if it's arranged as a recoilless weapon, venting its exhaust gasses rearward through a central vent past doughnut-shaped projectiles and prop charges. A few years back the Navy did considerable experimentation on *Ring airfoils* and Metalstorm might be developed as a launcher for such projectiles.
But essentially, it's an electrically-fired Roman candle, and that idea has been used before. Interestingly, the Germans had a followon design to their WWII Mk108 aircraft cannon that was to have used a liquid *fuel* propellant, and which would have had multiple projectiles in the barrel simultaneously. The rate of fire could have been well in excess of 20,000 rounds per minute, as designed, but never advancing to the prototype stage, so far as I know.
-archy-/-
Picture a clip with the rounds lined up one after the other - end to end - instead of on top of one another. Thats the clip/barrel of this type weapon!
Suggest you got to post #23 and view the video at the Metal Storm site. Pretty damn impressive if you ask me! you may not want to throw too many rocks at the concept!
What is this new fangled stuff ? Is it like, the electronic 'rail gun' that uses magnetic induction to fire projectiles or sumthin' ? If it is, its way over this pharm boy's head.
Nah. Think of it as a box of Roman candles, set off electrically with an electronic switching setup. Even an old plough jockey could rig something along those basic lines up- the real trick will be in the materials and projectile design.
There is no "back blast". Go to the video at the Metal Storm site (see post #23) and see for yourself. You may not want to throw rocks at this technology after you educate yourself as to what it is.
Not only that, but what's the range of this weapon??
I saw an article on this weapon years ago and it was basically a small unit defense weapon. Unless they've adapeted it for larger caliber ammo, I don't see it as a replacement for artillery.
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